New young professionals group aims to drive support to Metro Detroit’s black-owned businesses

amion Ellis was working as a finance executive at General Motors until he decided to change his career path to focus on supporting black businesses while encouraging others to as well. As founder of the Soulcial Scene, a new group for young, black professionals in Metro Detroit, Ellis hopes to do just that.

“The Soulcial Scene is a group of socially conscious consumers looking to use our spending power to address social issues affecting black communities,” Ellis says. “Our goal is to use black-owned business growth as a tool to provide resources and job opportunities for black families, which we believe is the key to community transformation.”

Each month, the group will shuttle the attendees to a different black-owned restaurant for after-work happy hours. Those interested would be able to either by tickets for individual events or subscribe to a monthly membership. Ellis says he hopes to expand this model beyond Detroit and into cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

As a kickoff, the group is hosting a fundraising event at Dime Store on December 15, with the goal of raising their estimated $15,000 of startup costs to rent their first two shuttles. Fundraiser attendees will get the opportunity to enjoy happy hour, learn more about the group and participate in a silent auction. A portion of the proceeds from the fundraiser will go to Prime Youth Program, which supports athletics in Detroit’s underserved communities.

More information at soulcialscene.com.